Presentation Ninja

# PSY490: Current Topics in Neuroscience

## Jennet Baumbach

#### Sept 8th 2023

![](data:image/png;base64,#https://alleninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/microglia_scishots-1.gif)

---

# PSY490 Seminar: Current topics in neuroscience

### - General Class Format:

--
  - Scheduled time slot Fridays 12-3pm

--
    + 1hr + lecture (from me)
    
    + 1.5 hour article summary / discussion (student-led)

### - primarilly a seminar style course

- discussion is encouraged at any time! Please interject by raising your hand :)

### - Make nametags, address eachother by name as much as possible

---

# Class Format Today:

- ### Introductions :)

- ### Review the syllabus

--
    + Explicitly break down deliverables and grading expectations

- ### Select presentation partners and weeks to present

---

# Introductions

- No fun facts!

### 1. Name (& preferred pronouns if you wish)

### 2. Major & year of study

### 3. Reason for taking this course

---

# Grade Breakdown

## 1. 20% - Seminar participation

## 2. 30% - Presentation

## 3. 25% - In-class test

## 4. 25% - Final assignment

---

# Grade Breakdown

## 1. 20% - Seminar participation

- 10% - Attendance

--
  
  - 10% - Participation

--
    + Both *quality* and *quantity* of contributions to seminar discussions are considered in marks. 
    
--

**You must sign in to get marks for attendance to seminar!**

- I will note contributions to discussion throughout the class
  
--

- Student contributions are more important than anything I have to contribute to seminar discussion

### There is no ceiling for seminar marks!!

---

# Grade Breakdown

## 2. 30% - Presentation

- In *pairs*, you will summarize and lead a discussion on a recent neuroscience journal article.

- I will return your grade & presentation feedback the week after your presentation.

- Rubric is available to you online to review prior to your presentation.

---

---

# Grade Breakdown

## 3. 25% in-class test

- Date: October 27th (after reading week).
    + No lecture or class afterwards

- Intended to evaluate comprehension of neuroscience research techniques & approaches that were discussed during seminar.

- Grades will be returned before the drop deadline (Nov 6th).

- No tricksy questions; will likely be heavily fill-in-the-blank.

- Content will come from class lectures (slides and discussion) and from the weekly assigned articles (both content and class discussion).

---

# Grade Breakdown

## 4. 25% Written Assignment

- Due Dec. 7th (last day of classes)

--
    + Submissions will be accepted ahead of time

- Reviewer-style write-up on the same article that you presented during seminar.

--
    + 2-3 page write up summarizing and commenting on the article that you used for your presentation.

- You may feel free to incorperate the seminar discussion on your topic into your write up.

- I will ensure that a detailed rubric is available to you well in advance of the assignment deadline.

---

# Questions about grades?

---

# Course topics

### Techniques-focused

- Most current high-level papers in neuroscience involve many complicated techniques

- Understanding *how* and *why* the researchers are choosing their approaches is foundational to current neuroscience

--
  + And to evaluating the author's methodological approach. 
  
--

#### Combinations of sophistocated techniques *is* current neuroscience

- The goal of this course is to build a strong technical understanding of available tools

--
    + and how they can be applied to neuroscience research.

---

# Course topics

- Intended to build upon one another

- First half of the course (up until the test - Oct 27 / Week 7), the focus will be on *output* measures in neuroscience

--
    1. Behaviour
    
    2. Post-morterm analysis of brain tissue 
    
    3. Electrical recordings from brain cells

- Second half of the course will focus on more complex papers that involve combinations of techniques.

---